The Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings had some wonderful playoff battles. Anze Kopitar was among the stars involved.
The Chicago Blackhawks had a lot of great playoff success from 2009 to 2015. During that span, they had five trips to the Western Conference Finals and three Stanley Cup championships. They also created some great rivalries with teams from within the West.
One of these teams, the Los Angeles Kings, was as good as any they faced. During the same span, the Kings reached three West Finals and won the Stanley Cup twice. The two organizations won a total of five Cups from 2010 to 2015.
Leading the way for LA through that era of championship success was forward Anze Kopitar. He was as admirable a playoff foe as the Blackhawks faced during that time. As their best forward, he was a key part of their core, which included stars like Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty, Jeff Carter, and Dustin Brown.
On Sunday, the Colorado Avalanche completed their first-round sweep over Kopitar and the Kings, putting an end to Kopitar’s 20-year NHL career, all with LA. He was their 11th overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, and he has exceeded every expectation since.
Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Toews drew a lot of comparisons to one another as they were very similar players. They could each contribute offensively at a high level, but both put emphasis on being great two-way forwards. There were multiple Selke Trophies, Stanley Cups, and leadership awards won between the two of them.
In 59 regular-season games played against the Blackhawks, Kopitar had 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points. There were some incredible battles, including all of those postseason matches where he was the most impactful forward.
Now and again, a player is so great both on and off the ice that they will receive praise and respect from everyone, even their biggest rivals. Kopitar is one of those players.
There is a chance that this is not the last that hockey fans will see of Kopitar. For one, he is going to have his number retired, be in the Hall of Fame, and have many other accolades thrown his way.
He may also be someone interested in front office or coaching work. He is a smart hockey man who has the knowledge needed to be involved one way or another down the line.
Blackhawks fans will remember him amongst the greatest individual rivals to ever play against them, especially since he was prominent during such a successful stretch for both teams.
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